Reduced to Ashes
by Ricochet Red
Summary: [Akuroku] Axel manages to keep Roxas from leaving the Organization. But how long can he keep him there? And when it finally comes time for Sora to reawaken, one question comes to mind. Just how much is Roxas worth?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Axel or Roxas (or any characters mentioned in this chapter, for that matter). I wish I did. I mean, seriously…who wouldn't want a Roxas for a pet?

* * *

"Axel!" you shriek, flailing madly, "let me GO!"

"No," he replies simply, holding you closer. You struggle again, but it's hopeless. He's got you in a vice grip under his arm like you were some kind of package. You growl and lash out again. You aren't going down without a fight.

"AXEL!" you roar. "Let me go RIGHT NOW!"

"I can't do that," he retorts, sounding mildly amused. Is that bastard _mocking_ you? Not only has he kidnapped you, but now he's making fun of you! That jerk! You place a well-aimed elbow in his crotch, snarling ever so slightly.

He yelps and released his hold on you. You fall to the sidewalk with a soft thud, scrambling to your feet as soon as you hit the cement. Your black robe proves to be a bit of a nuisance, grabbing at your shoes as you try to make a break for it.

Before you even make two strides down the alley, Axel has his strong arms around your waist and suddenly you're off the ground again. "Calm down, Blue-eyes," he tries to reassure you. You can't help but notice the hint of annoyance in his voice and a smirk twitches on your lips. He's not as invincible as he likes to make himself out to be. You're pleased to earn that little victory, so you let the use of that foolish nickname pass without protest. You can take it up with him later anyway.

Your cocky smile quickly fades. There won't be a later. As soon he lets you go, you're going to get out of this damn city. You need to find out why those damn keyblades choose you, and you aren't going to get an answer just lying around.

You _need_ an answer.

"Axel," you try again, sighing. You didn't even realize you stopped struggling until you heard the sound of your own voice. He looks down at you expectantly.

"Yes?"

"Will you _please_ let me down now?" you ask, trying to keep your temper in check. Screaming at him really didn't work out so well, so maybe you can just talk your way out of this one.

"Are you going to try and run away again?" You know, there's a thing to be said about Axel's ability to predict your actions. You don't like being predictable.

"No," you lie, hoping he trusts you enough to put you down. You hate doing this to the redhead, but it's something that has to be done. He just…doesn't understand the situation, that's all. And it's not like you're going to be gone forever, right? You'll come home as soon as you know the reason behind the keyblades' choice. Well, if you could call this place a home.

"Don't lie to me," he chides, as if you were a child with your hand caught in the cookie jar. You scowl and he ruffles your hair with his free hand, much to your contempt.

"I'm not," you grumble, swatting his hand away.

He snickered. "You're lying and I can tell. It's so obvious when you aren't telling the truth." Smug bastard.

"It is not!" you protest. You aren't predictable, and you aren't see through either! "You're just trying to psych me out!"

He shook his head, grinning. "No way, Blue-eyes."

"Don't call me that!" you squawk, striking out fiercely. Axel is a little more careful to avoid your swinging limbs this time. "And I am not lying!" Your temper's building again despite yourself.

"Yes, you are," the older man responded in a sing-song voice, not missing a stride as you continue to thrash.

"Oh yeah?" you snarl, clearly agitated. "I didn't know you were psychic!"

He snorted. "Don't get your panties in a knot. It's simple really." He grins down at you. "You blush every time you tell a lie. Didn't you ever wonder why someone called your bluff every single time when we play poker?"

You blink at him, confusion quickly transforming into an embarrassed frustration. "I do not blush!"

"You're blushing brighter." He laughs and you growl, striking out again. This isn't fair! He doesn't understand anything about this, never mind you! He has no right to tease you like this. You squeal and lash out again, struggle quickly turning desperate. You're so busy trying to break away from him, you don't even notice his smile fade away. "Do you really want to leave this badly?" he asks, all merriment gone from his voice.

"Yes." You nod eagerly, hoping that he'll finally let you down.

He sighs. "And you're absolutely sure?"

"I'm positive! Now put me down…gently, this time," you add, knees still sore from your last encounter with the sidewalk. He nods and lets you go, making sure to place you on your feet. "You're just going to let me go?" You surprise yourself with how hopeful you sound. He nods again, silent, just watching you with those brilliant green eyes. Something about the way he's looking at you, you aren't sure why, but it hurts. But that can't be, you don't have a heart, right? You don't feel.

But he's finally let you go, and that's all that matters. You can sort out the feelings and emotions and all that heart nonsense when you're on your journey, which will be only a matter of moments, really. The only thing left to take care of was saying goodbye to your best friend. One of your only friends, for that matter. It's kind of pathetic, but you don't really like anyone in the Organization. Most of them are stuck up assholes with only one thing on their mind. They want to get to Kingdom Hearts and they want to become complete. Not that you blame them, exactly, but you can't fathom how they can just jump blindly every time the Superior says 'jump' without ever wondering why.

…you know, now that you think about it, Axel's kind of an asshole too. No, strike that. Axel is THE resident asshole of Organization XIII. And, some how, that crazy hothead ended up as your best friend. Go figure, right?

You heave a sigh, noting just how ironic life really is, and shift to look Axel in the eyes. He has such green eyes. Electric green eyes. You could get lost in them, watching them shimmer like jewels-- whoa. That right there was _weird_. Well, you better get this over with.

"I'm out of here. See you around, Axel," you say solemnly, unable to avoid the hollow pang in the so-called heart you're convinced you don't have. He fails to respond, so you turn to go. Heaving a sigh, you pick up your head and puff out your chest. You're going to march out of the wretched city with pride, damnit, not with your tail between your legs.

You hear the unmistakable sound of a portal opening and you're barely able to suppress a hiss. You're just looking for an answer, and if he can't understand that, well then, fuck him! You don't need a fucking goodbye from fucking Axel. Some best friend. The fucker.

You're so angry, you can't even see straight, never mind think. You storm through open alleys, muttering under your breath. You don't even notice Axel leaning on a building wall, watching you.

"Your mind's made up?"

Huh? It takes a moment for you to recognize the disembodied voice. Oh, right…Axel. Jerk. What does he care, anyway?

You can't help but notice he sounds a little remorseful.

"Why did the Keyblade choose me?" you ask him, glancing over your shoulder. Like he'd have an answer, or something. Your anger starts to slip away again. Nobody has the answer you need. He doesn't reply. You sigh, still watching him out of the corner of your eye. He hasn't moved, currently slouched against the wall of that edifice. "I have to know."

"You can't turn on the Organization!" he suddenly shouts, startling you a bit. As quickly as your anger had faded, it has been reignited. Axel was good at that, igniting things. The Organization. You snarl. That's what he cared about, the stupid Organization? Your anger cooled instantly, your resolve ice cold. Fine. If he was going to be like that, fine. You don't need him.

"You get on their bad side and they'll destroy you!"

You consider this for only a moment. "No one would miss me," you toss over your shoulder casually. 'You wouldn't,' you think, pausing before you walk on. Why do you even care?

You hear a voice behind you, so you decide to sneak a glance over your shoulder. There's Axel with his head hung, looking really depressed. Again. What's he got to be depressed about, anyways? If anyone gets in trouble with the Superior, it will be you. Unless, of course, they had found out that you planned to leave and sent Axel to fetch you.

Something about that notion just didn't sit right with you. First of all, the Superior wasn't that…tactful. He wouldn't send Axel after you, no, he'd probably send someone more conniving, someone who wouldn't mind roughing you up a little if it meant keeping you from defecting. Someone like Saix. Your eyebrow twitches at the thought and you push the thought out of your head. Back to your list of trying to prove Axel innocent.

Axel liked pain and punishment. You glance over your shoulder again, and Axel definitely looked…like he was in some sort of pain. You frown. There were no wounds, and even if there were, he wouldn't look like that. You know Axel. Axel took great pleasure in pain, so he wouldn't be worried about a punishment. Sometimes the thought that Axel was a jackass just to get himself in trouble crossed your mind. You wouldn't put it past him. Sometimes it would seem like he would do anything to get what he wanted.

Guess he didn't want you that bad, best friends or not.

You heave a sigh, staring at the ground for a moment. Guess it doesn't really matter if you come back then, huh? If he doesn't care if you come back or not, what-

You shake your head. You don't need to think about that now. You don't need him, right? If you can find your Other, everything will be okay. And then you won't even need to come back. Right. You nod, trying to convince yourself that is indeed what you really want.

Mind made up and that thing-you-know-isn't-your-heart-heavy, you start forward again. There's a strange shuffling noise behind you and you're about to glimpse behind you when you feel a sharp pain at the base of your skull. Before you even have time to react, your world is closing in around you and you're overcome by a falling sensation.

You slowly blink open your eyes and the first thing you notice is that your head is pounding. You groan softly, shifting to an upright position to rub your temples gingerly, and only then do you notice that you're on a bed.

…what are you doing on a bed?

Puzzled, you glance around the small room. There's a small table next to the bed with a light and an open book. Across the room is an open dresser with random articles of clothing hanging out of the drawers and strewn across the floor. There's a window, but it's closed and there's a dark red curtain pulled over it. How strange.

You glance down at the bed and notice how its owner failed to make it this morning. Your head's still killing you though, so without any further thought, you flop over. The pillows are rather squishy, and you start to snuggle down when you realize the pillows have a faint odor. Not a bad smell, really, but they definitely smell like something.

You blink and sit up again, taking hold of one of pillows and holding it to your nose. Smoke. It smells like smoke. That's strange. You don't know anyone who smokes. You put the pillow back, noting the blue and maroon plaid pattern before running through a list of possibilities.

Well, first of all, why were you here? When did you get here? How did you get here, for that matter?

It suddenly all clicks. Someone had knocked you out on the street. At least, you think they did. Well, they must of, because you sure didn't walk here. So, you reflect, someone jumped you, dropped you, and then brought you here. Perhaps you didn't get Xemnas enough credit. Well, if that were the case, why the hell were you on a bed? You quickly come to the conclusion that there is a very good possibility that you are currently in a very _bad_ situation.

Alarmed, you swing your legs sideways and jump off the bed. You stumble across the floor, realizing a few moments too late your splitting headache had scrambled your balance. You lurch forward, flailing, and by great fortune, you manage to grab hold of the nightstand and save your face a meeting with rug. And then you hear it. Voices, coming from down the hall. Curious, you freeze. You know those voices.

Saix (oh shit.). And Axel (…the hell?). The voices were loud, and they were angry too. They were arguing. You couldn't make out what was being shouted, so you creep forward slowly. Very slowly, as it seems your legs don't feel like cooperating and are threatening to give out any minute. You press yourself to the door frame, using it for support as you peer down the hallway.

"Just leave him alone, Saix!" Axel shouts. You've never seen him so angry. "And get out of my house!"

Saix snorted, tossing his head. "I'd hardly call this a house." He gave Axel a harsh look. "Why is he here?"

"He's sick," Axel responded quickly, not giving an inch, "and I'm just taking care of him until he gets better."

The blue-haired Nobody rolled his eyes. "Why is his apartment empty?"

Axel actually looks confused for a moment before he shrugs. "I dunno. I haven't been there."

Saix smirked. "Then how did you know he was sick?""

Axel snickered, shaking his head. "Like I'd tell you. I just know those things."

Saix was about to make another come back when he noticed you slouched in the doorway. He sneers and you suddenly feel very uneasy. You go to turn and shuffle back into bed, having no desire to confront Number Seven, or Eight for that reason. Instead, you trip over your own feet and reel backwards, nearly toppling over for the second time.

"Roxas!" If you didn't know better, Axel sounded concerned. "SAIX! GET OUT!" You blink, stunned by the speed at which the redhead's mood had changed. You then notice you are swaying unsteadily and you cringe as a door slams shut. You aren't sure why you didn't notice before, but your head really, _really_ hurts.

"Blue-eyes…" You glance up and there's Axel in the doorway. You can't think of anything to do except smile weakly. Suddenly, you're falling backwards again.

"Rox!" He darts forward and somehow manages to get his arms around you before you hit the floor. One arm is grasping yours and the other is around your waist, trying to steady you. "I really shouldn't have hit you so hard…" he reflects, looking rather remorseful.

So _he_ was the one that hit you? Not Xemnas? That came as quite the relief. And, you realize, that would explain the faint scent of smoke on the pillows.

"…Axel?" you venture, focusing on his eyes as the world spun around you. The world was taking on a fuzzy black frame. "What's going on? Why was Saix here?" You'd really like to know, right about now.

He sighs, taking a moment to work things out in his head. "Look…Roxas…"

You frown. "What's going on?" you ask again. The fact that he isn't answering you truthfully is disconcerting. He doesn't answer, so you tug on his sleeve. "Axel?"

He blinks and glances at you, looking sheepish. "Sorry. Spaced out there for a second."

Well, no shit. But for some reason, you just don't feel up to conjuring up some sarcastic remark. Instead, you will badger him until he gives you a straight forward answer. "Tell me!" There's nothing quite like being blunt, is there?

"Someone found out you were leaving," Axel replies, just as bluntly. You stare at him, the information taking a moment to process.

"Traitor!" you shriek, throwing wild blows at him. He grunts in bewilderment, nearly dropping you. "You ratted me out!"

"Knock it off!" Axel growls, clamping a hand over your mouth. Your surprised squeal is muffled as the redhead darts to the bedroom down, dragging you along for the red. He shuts the door softly before casts you an accusatory glare. "You might as well just invite Saix right back in," he hisses, eyes flashing.

Your struggle ceases, anger giving way to perplexity. He cautiously removes his hand and you decide it's in your best interest to remain quiet for the time being. "Like I was saying before you had a spaz attack and decided to attack me," he pauses to glare, "someone found you out because there was a mission for you. When you didn't answer your door, they just, well, went in, I guess, and your apartment was empty." He shakes his head. "Not very bright, on your part."

You shrug, so he shrugs and continues his little story. "Anyways, I was gonna let you go, but when I got back here I overheard. So I knocked you out and brought you here."

"…you knocked me out…" It's more of a statement a question.

"Yeah…" the older Nobody answers slowly, giving you a wary look. "…are you going to savagely attack me again?"

While you'd like to, somehow you just don't think your body is totally up to it. Instead, you settle for shaking your head no. "Why here?"

He shrugs. "So I can keep an eye on you," Axel replies simply, grinning at you.

You scoff. "I don't need a babysitter. I can take care of myself!" you declare.

He smirks and you suddenly wish your mouth was so damn big. Before you have a chance to redeem yourself, you find your support gone and you're plummeting towards the carpet. "Axel!" you shriek.

He catches you at the very last possible second, pulling you back to your feet. He's laughing at you, but you're just happy to have been saved from sure impact. Your head would have probably exploded, had it taken another beating.

He shakes his head at you, holding you more securely. There's something wrong with this, but with your head spinning like it is, you just can't put your finger on it. "You've got to be quiet, alright Blue-eyes? I told them you were sick. Sick people don't shout."

"Don't call me that…" you whine, more concerned with the stupid nickname then what Axel actually has to say.

He nods and smiles, and the world starts close in a little more. You sway and the smiles instantly transforms into worry. "Roxas? Are you alright?"

"Uh-huh." You nod and he pulls you closer.

You suddenly realize Axel's arms are around your waist and his hands are _on your ass_. You blink. Your head must be playing tricks on you. Yes, that's it, the headache is messing with your sense of reality. You start to reel backwards again as your balance tapers off and you feel the hands tighten.

You squeak, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "A-Axel?" Your shaky voice surprises yourself.

"Yeah?" The hands still haven't moved.

"Can you-?" You fade off, still rather shocked that your best friend is now not only touching your butt, but you're pretty sure he's groping you too.

"Can I what, Rox?" he prompts, seemingly unfazed by the entire situation.

"Can you…stop doing that?" you manage to squeak out.

He smirks, leaning forward until your noses are practically touching. "Are you nervous?" he whispers. You gulp and nod, a nagging voice in the back of your head telling you to get out. Unfortunately, the rest of you doesn't seem to have received that message. A predatory look spreads across his face and he pulls you closer, much to your discomfort.

"Axel…" you whimper, wondering what in the name of Kingdom Hearts your best friend is trying to do. He must be trying to freak you out, or something. He just makes a pleased noise and moves closer.

You finally regain enough thought to try and shove him away, earning you a hurt look. "What was that for?"

"Your hands were touching my ass!" you exclaim, sounding absolutely mortified. Honestly, you have every right to be.

"…I fail to see the problem in that."

He's got to be kidding you. He can't possibly mean that. You blink at him. There's no way he just said that. You shake your head, which you instantly regret, and stare at him. "What…are you trying to say?"

He snorts, stroking your cheek with a gloved hand. Blushing, you instantly try to pull away, but that only serves to encourage him further. "I don't want you to go?"

You shrug. "I know that. But I'll be back, I promise. I swear. You believe your best friend, don't you?"

He gives you a sad little smile. "I don't want to be best friends." You just stare blankly, having gone under far too many emotions to be shocked. "I want to be more."

More? What's more than best friends? Your befuddlement must have spread to your face, because Axel was snickering at you. Your head is screaming at you, if Axel let's you go you'll fall, and know he wants to be "more" with you. You just can't handle this much though. "What do you mean?" you ask.

"Let me show you…" his voice is reassuring, but he's leaning towards you.

Your head is pounding, but you can't tell if it's you're not-a-heart or just your headache. His arms are holding you close, pressing your bodies together. You can't be too sure, but you're pretty sure you're shivering a little. What is he…?

Suddenly a pair of soft lips are pressed against yours. Your eyes flash forward, gazing at his face. His eyes are closed and he's clearly enjoying this. You're definitely shaking now, and he just pulls you closer, 'hmm'ing reassuringly.

Axel is kissing you.

Axel is _kissing _you.

The world is spinning around you, and you can't tell if it's the splitting headache or the fact that your very best friend is kissing you. And somehow, he's gotten his tongue inside your mouth and has taken the liberty of exploring. You aren't really sure how he accomplished this, and you're not exactly sure why you're letting him do this either. But, you kind of like it.

He pulls back, electric green eyes shimmering softly as he watches you. You flush, not really enjoying being in the spotlight. He brushes your cheek tenderly, smiling at you.

"Will you please stay?"

You suppose it wasn't about the Organization after all. He wants something entirely different, something you don't understand. There is so much you don't understand.

"Please?"

You open your mouth to answer when you realize the world is quickly fading around you. And without warning, everything goes black.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Boy, that took a long time. My horse really demands a lot of my time. >>; And guess what! I have a beta now! Horray! So...yep. That's all I have to say! I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

You wake up the next morning, your head pounding. You groan and roll over, burying your head under your pillow. You decide the pillow, despite the fact that it has a musky, smoky odor, smells pretty good. You inhale deeply, relaxing a little under the pile of sheets. Snuggling back down, your body feels heavier than a boulder. Sleeping the rest of the day away doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

You're just about to settle down and put that theory to the test when you smell smoke. It's not the pleasant, faint smell from the pillows. No. It's a biting stench, like something burning. The fact that something is burning takes a moment to register with your foggy mind. Once it hits you that, yes, something really is burning, and yes, burning objects are generally bad for you, you kick the covers back and throw yourself out of bed. In hindsight, you realize, you wouldn't be sprawled on the floor if you hadn't tried to imitate a monkey. Getting up calmly would have been sufficient and you will remember that next time, you decide as you haul yourself to your feet.

You're a bit shaky as you stagger down the hall, choking on the thickening smoke. If you recall correctly, Axel's kitchen/living room was at the end of said hallway. Quite useful when one does not want to venture too far from the television and a beverage is necessary. It was usually hard lemonade. Or maybe it was beer? You aren't really sure. Thinking right now seems to be rather hard to accomplish. It _is_ alcoholic, you know that much.

You shake your head. The contents of Axel's fridge aren't important right now, because something's burning. You pull your shirt up over your nose, trying to filter out the thick smoke. It's not terribly effective, but it's better than nothing. You stumble out into the kitchen, eyes watering with the growing intensity of the smog. And there's Axel, flapping around like an idiot.

…_what the hell is going on?_

"…Axel?" He doesn't respond immediately, more concerned with the dancing flames in front of him. Half of you wonders if he actually meant to set the kitchen on fire. Your inner voice then proceeds to tell you that this would be an opportune time to make a break for it. He doesn't even know you're standing only feet away from him, never mind awake. You could slip right out that door and he wouldn't even realize that you were gone for at least an hour. Plenty of time to get away.

You're about to follow through with that well thought out plan when your common sense kicks in and reminds you that your head is about to explode. Oh yeah. The smoke and the confusion had made you temporarily forget that you can barely stand. In fact, you are leaning against the wall as you watch Axel dance a dangerous tango with those persistent orange flames.

On second thought, perhaps it wasn't such a well thought out plan. You're about to retreat when Axel finally achieves victory over what appears to be his stove. He turns to you, tossing something that resembles a rag into the sink.

"Sorry about that," he says sheepishly, motioning towards the smoldering mess. "I was trying to make breakfast."

Why aren't you surprised? Before you realize it, a small smile has wormed its way onto your lips and you're shaking your head. You're about to tell him that he woke you up when there's a clicking noise from above. You glance up and it's suddenly raining in Axel's kitchen.

Axel squawks, flailing as you're both soaked. For some reason, you can't muster up the strength to be even mildly annoyed by the fact that you're getting absolutely waterlogged. In fact, you find this predicament absolutely hilarious. You haven't even been awake for five minutes and you've already practiced flying, had random flashbacks, watched Axel act like an idiot and now you may as well take a shower.

Axel squeals angrily and you glance back over, unable to supress a giggle when you realize his hair is plastered to his head. You can't even see his face. He looks like a big shaggy wet dog, or something. And you had always thought Axel was a cat person. Ha.

By now, you are laughing hysterically. Axel is parting his bangs- at least, you think they are bangs- and giving you a funny look. He just makes you laugh harder. You can't stop laughing. It's just so damn hilarious.

_Roxas_, you tell yourself, _you've finally cracked._

There's nothing funny about this situation. You can barely stand, your head is pounding, you're in Axel's apartment, and you're soaked. But you can't stop laughing. This is absolutely ridiculous. You realize you _cannot_ stop laughing. Alarmed, you can do nothing more than suck in air and try to bring the vicious cycle to a halt.

Saix comes bursting through Axel's door, soaking wet and absolutely infuriated. In fact, he also resembles a very wet dog. A very wet, rabid dog. You recoil as he storms past, shouting angrily at Axel. This isn't helping your hyperventilating. In fact, the dog fight unfolding before you is making it worse. You double over with laughter and Saix is on you faster than mud on a pig. Ha. Mud on a pig.

"I thought you said he was sick," he snarls at Axel, giving you a dirty look. Honestly, you're too oxygen-depleted to care. You mock him silently for a moment before falling into another bout of laughter. "I'll show you how to get your shits and giggles," he threatens. He growls menacingly and you come to the conclusion your wet dog has mutated into a man-eating werewolf. You're too busy snickering to notice the ravenous beast is now advancing towards you.

Axel, on the other hand, is your Prince Charming. "Saix!" he roars, grabbing his hood.

Number VII snarls and whips around, socking Axel in the face. The redhead stumbles back, letting loose a string of colorful curses. All you can think to do is giggle like a kindergartener on sugar. "He is clearly not sick!" Saix insists, pointing an accusatory finger at you.

Before you can stop yourself, you point a finger back at him. "Dog!" And you're back to snickering and snorting as he shoots you the most evil look you have ever seen. It falls under the 'I-kill-kittens-and-I-hate-you-so-much-I'll-eat-your-babies' category. Wait…can Nobodies even have children?

While you hypothesize, Axel is busy covering for you. "He's clearly delusional," he retorts, sounding slightly disgusted. You glance over at him, noting that he's currently touching his cheekbone gingerly. You wince (still chortling of course) as you notice a bruise already forming. He's going to have one hell of a shiner come tomorrow morning. Saix flashes you a dirty look and you shrug, once again trying to regulate your breathing. You're feeling terribly lightheaded and your sides are killing you. "Just go home Saix," you hear Axel say. Strange. He sounds distanced.

You can't even make out the response. The door slams and your attention jumps back to your best friend. You're sucking air, but at least the hysterics are gone. The kitchen is swimming and a groan reaches your ears. Axel turns and gives you a funny look. …were you the one groaning?

Axel's still giving you a strange look and quickly closing the gap between you. His mouth is moving, but you can barely hear his voice. You panic and your mind starts to race. "Axel?" you croak. Your voice sounds foreign as the kitchen starts to swirl faster. You lurch forward and it barely registers that Axel is calling your name. You're about to hit the floor when everything goes blank.

When you open your eyes, Axel is hovering above you, brows stitched with worry. "Roxas!" He sounds…upset.

"Huh?" You try to sit up but your body feels like it's made of lead.

"Don't push yourself." He puts a hand to your chest and pushes gently.

More than happy to comply, you flop over, but not without noticing his hand stays on your chest a bit longer than need be. Huh. You're on his couch. If you recalled correctly, you were in the kitchen. "…what happened?" you ponder aloud, staring up at him.

He sighs, running a hand through that flaming red hair. "You passed out." You've never seen Axel look so concerned. Ever. "That's the second time, Rox. Is something wrong?"

_Well gee, nothing gets by you, huh slick?_ You grumble mentally. "No." Since it's perfectly normal to go searching for one's Other, get knocked out by one's best friend, and get _kissed_ by said best friend. At least nothing terribly unnatural has occurred today…yet. Actually, strike that. Seeing Axel so upset is downright unnerving.

He gives you a dubious look. "So your normally have hysterics in the morning and then promptly faint," he says sarcastically.

You shoot him a glare. "Not a morning person," you fire back.

He rolls his eyes. "Thank you, Captain Obvious." You bristle. If you didn't feel so damn shitty, you could really give Axel a piece of your mind. Instead, you settle for refusing to acknowledge the mordant bastard. The ceiling is far more interesting anyway. "So, Rox, you want anything to eat?" You continue to stare at his ceiling intently. If you focus hard enough, that splotch in the corner looks like a Keyblade. "Roxas?" You steal a look out of the corner of your eyes. He looks perplexed. Good. Let him ponder the error of his ways. For some reason, the thought amuses you. Axel, actually admitting he was wrong. What a stretch.

By the time you come back from la-la land, Axel is singing your name at you. Axel is singing your name at you rather poorly. And while you're sorely tempted to mock him, all your stoic efforts would go to waste. You continue to ignore his antics up until the point he starts varying the style in which he sings. By the time he reaches opera, you're choking down a laugh. He flashes you a brilliant grin. "I knew you couldn't ignore me forever."

"You're such an attention whore."

Axel just smiles and ruffles your hair. You squawk in protest, swatting at his hand. "So, I'll only ask you one more time. Do you want food?"

"No thanks." You answer without hesitation.

He frowns. "You're skin and bones, Rox. You sure?"

You take a moment to prop your head up on a pillow. "Yeah." You nod. You have a feeling that if you actually ate, you wouldn't be keeping breakfast down. "I'm not really hungry." It's a safe enough answer, right?

Axel raises an eyebrow. "Roxas. What do you take me for, exactly? You? Not hungry?" He snorts. "Roxas, you've plowed through an entire meal and an entire thing of cookies and you _still_ weren't full." Huh. You had forgotten about that. You grin a little at the recollection. The look on Axel's face had been priceless…besides, those were good cookies!

You simply shrug in response. "I just don't feel like eating." Admitting you feel seriously ill would be a bad idea, you decide, because you don't think Axel is capable of worrying any more without seriously injuring himself. He might blow up or something… You've never, _ever_ seen him like this.

"You feeling okay?" He puts a hand to your forehead and you grumble, pawing him away. "No fever," he muses.

"…duh." You can't help the sarcastic remark. "I'm not really sick, Axel." That was just the cover story, right?

"Yeah…but, uh…" Axel pauses, running a hand across the back of his neck. He looks really, really guilty.

You frown, feeling very suspicious all of the sudden. "Axel…" you try to keep your voice steady, "what the _hell_ did you do to me?"

The guilty look only magnifies. "Well…" he starts, glancing at the wall. You growl, pulling his attention back. "…I just sort of hit you in the back of the head…that's all. Just to, you know, knock some sense into you?"

…well, that would certainly explain the killer headache. You glare and he continues to look sheepish. "…you knocked me out…"

He nods. "Yep. You were really angry and you definitely weren't going to listen to reason."

"…so you knocked me out…"

Now Axel looks proud of himself. "You're still here, aren't you?"

You scowl, struggling to sit up again. "That fucking hurt, you know," you grumble, rubbing the back of your head gingerly. Strange. You hadn't noticed the egg-sized lump before. He's lucky you don't return the favor.

He shrugs. "The ends justify the means." You snort. "You really should eat, though. Head bashing shouldn't affect your appetite." You give him a dirty look and he shrugs.

"I'm not sure how many times I have to tell you, Axel, but I'm not freaking hungry!" you snap. "And, thanks to you, I have a splitting headache!"

"If you just ate something, I could give you painkillers!" he snaps back, looking frustrated.

"No!" you shout.

"Damn," he grumbles, turning away from you. "Don't be such a fucking child," he mutters under his breath as he makes his way across the room to his kitchen.

"I AM NOT A CHILD!" you howl and instantly regret it. Your head certainly didn't appreciate that and now Axel is practically on top of you with a hand clamped over your mouth.

"Be quiet," he hisses, pointing down the hall with his free hand. "Or do you want the blue-haired wonder to pay us another visit?"

You pause in mid-bite, pulling your teeth away from Axel's flesh. He does have a point. So instead of biting the redhead, you decide licking his hand will do. That will teach him to try and silence you.

Better yet, you can make out with his hand to punish him. Yes, totally freak him out like that. You snicker with evil glee somewhere deep inside and set to your task. He makes a startled noise, staring down at you as you continue to tease his hand. You're too busy to notice. Axel's hand tastes a lot like chocolate and you find yourself wondering what exactly he was making for breakfast. You quickly decide you don't really care, because _damn,_ does his hand taste good. You finish a few minutes later, fully sated, and let his hand go.

Axel whimpers and it's your turn to give him a baffled look. He's still staring at you, eyes occasionally flicking from your face to his hand and back again. You feel smug, proud of yourself for putting him in such a stupor.

His look of bewilderment is gone in a flash, replaced by one of absolute hunger. Your complacency drains quickly. The predatory glint in his eye is starting to make you rather uncomfortable and you squirm a little.

You're trapped in those electric green eyes and before you know it, Axel has settled onto the couch. He's somehow managed to get your legs around his waist and your body onto his lap. Now he is putting his hands around your waist.

Somewhere in your mind, there is a big red flag screaming danger. You decide to heed the alarm and promptly try to escape your best friend's grip. When making your calculations, you didn't put the fact that he may try to retaliate into the equation. He chuckles and you squeak, struggling harder against his arms.

"Roxas," he purrs, pulling you back down, "don't even think about escaping. You started it, after all." You gulp, staring into those bright green eyes. It's like a train wreck waiting to happen. Doom is imminent, but you just can't look away.

You feel a hand on the back of your neck and your scalp prickles. Just what is Axel planning to do to you, anyways?

He leans forward, so close his nose is nearly touching yours. There's a hundred ways you can think of to get away, but for some reason, you can't seem to put any of them into action.

"A-Axel?" The quake in your voice surprises even you.

He smiles, cooing reassuringly. If you weren't so distraught, you'd be terribly annoyed he was treating you like a girl. "Hush," he murmurs, stroking the side of your face gently. You start to relax despite yourself, unable to defend yourself against such a soothing touch.

Axel spies his opening and leans closer, pressing soft lips to yours. You make a surprised noise, only encouraging him further. He presses closer and you can feel heat radiating from his body. Your mind is going a million miles an hour. It takes you a moment to realize his tongue is pressing against your lips. He's gentle but insistent. You aren't sure why, but you part your lips. Just a little. Because curiosity got the better of you and you want to know what he'll do. That's all.

He immediately takes the opening, sticking his tongue into your mouth and brushing it past yours. It feels strange, and somehow, it's managed to let a tornado of butterflies loose in your gut. Your mind has shut off. You don't know what to do.

So you kiss him back. It feels amazing.

You don't even realize what you've done until you've already gone and sealed your fate. Axel makes a pleased noise and pulls you closer. The heat coming from him is searing hot. You suddenly realize you're burning.

You howl, shocked and pained. You push back with all your might, freeing your mouth and body from Axel's grasp. Unfortunately, you had forgotten that you're on a couch. As you shoot back, you hit the arm rest and flip over it, landing on the floor with a resounding thud.

"Roxas!" You see Axel peer over the ledge of the couch.

"Ow…" you groan, rubbing your head. That was painful.

"Oh, Roxas…" he croons, quickly getting up and offering you a hand.

You stare at said hand, thoughts racing. Axel had just kissed you…again. _And you kissed him back_. And, if you aren't mistaken, Axel was terribly turned on. You pale.

"…Roxas?" Axel reaches out to touch your shoulder.

You jump back, brushing off the hand. You quickly stand up and brush your clothing off. "I'm fine," you answer quickly, clearly flustered.

Axel smiles. "Oh, good. I was afraid you'd bumped your head again." He seems totally unfazed by the entire thing. You determine that didn't just happen. But before you totally ward it off, you need one thing.

"Hey Axel, can I ask you a favor?"

"Yeah, sure. Whaddya need?"

"…can I borrow a toothbrush?"

* * *

To my reveiwers: ZOMKH! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVEIWING!

Just thought it important to mention thatI love you guys to pieces for taking the time to reveiw. XD And now on to chapter three, away!


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